About Newport News

The City of Newport News sits on a prime vantage point where the James River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The city runs approximately 23 miles along the James River and the Hampton Roads Harbor. Steeped in history, ours is a community of diverse trades including shipbuilding, technological research and international commerce.

City Center at Oyster Point

Main Street Library

Mariners Museum

Denbigh Community Center

Downing Gross Cultural Arts Center

Newport News Park

NNPD Headquarters

NNFD Station 3

City Name

We are proud of our city and its rich heritage which dates back to the founding of America. Newport News was named for Christopher Newport, captain of the Susan Constant, the lead ship of the 3-ship fleet that carried the Jamestown settlers to the New World in 1607. Captain Newport made several more trips between the New World and England. After the Starving Time of 1610, the original colonists abandoned Jamestown and encountered Captain Newport on the James River and learned that reinforcements of men and supplies had arrived, thus prompting their return to Jamestown. The place where that occurred became known for Newport's good news, "Newport's News," and eventually just Newport News.

People of all ages have plenty of opportunities for learning in any of our public schools and libraries across the city.

Our award-winning public school system, comprised of over 40 schools, educates roughly 30,000 students improving their proficiency in both math and literacy. To learn more about our public school system please visit the Newport News Public Schools website.

Newport News is also home to five public libraries. Here visitors can do much more than research. They can attend community events like storytime, learn something new through our computer classes or relax by reading a book or checking out a new movie. Interested? Lean more by visiting the Newport News Public Library website.

More than twenty combined police precincts and fire stations protect our citizens and keep them safe.

The Newport News Police Department employs over 400 sworn officers making it the fourth largest municipal police department in Virginia. To learn more about the Newport News Police Department's responsibility at reducing crime, please visit their Crime Statistics page.

The Newport News Fire Department employs over 300 personnel who respond to an excess of 30,000 calls per year.

The City of Newport News is administered by a Council-Manager form of government in which six citizens are elected from each of three districts, North, Central and South, to serve on the City Council.

To learn more about your City Council representatives, please visit our City Council Members page. Additionally, these three districts have several voting precincts. To learn more about these precincts, please visit our Precinct Listing page.